Summer Mini Launch Tomorrow

Don't forget to let me know if you'll be coming to my Summer Mini Catalogue Launch tomorrow evening - 1st December.

Time: - 7pm to 10pm

Venue: - Tawa, Wellington

 - Be one of the first to see the new Summer Mini Catalogue.

 - Make and Takes to try out some of the new product.

 - Purchase your favourite product.

 - Door Prizes

 - Supper.

RSVP to make sure I've got Make and Takes for you by 30 November 2009.

Lollipop Candle Shoe Box Swap

On Saturday I went to the INKspirables Christmas team day.  One of the highlights of the day are the shoebox swaps.

Here are photos of the lollipop/candle that we made using the supplies and instructions contained in Jo Anne Arthur's box.

 

Wouldn't these work beautifully as a secret santa present this year. 

All supplies Stampin' Up!® (except for the candle and stick)
 - Stamp Set - Curly Lable Punch Bundle
 - Ink - Real Red Classic Ink Pad
 - Paper - Real Red and Baha Breeze Cardstock, Ski Slope DSP (Only available today)
 - Punches - 1-3/8" Circle, Large Star, Star & Curly Lable Punch, Crop A Dile
 - Accessories - 6mm White Grosgrain Ribbon, Sticky Strip

Thanks Jo Anne for a great Christmas Idea.
 

Last Night's Christmas Giftables Class

I had a great night on Thursday night with lovely ladies.  Here's a photo of one of the projects we made, a gift card holder. This beautifully shows what happens when you give passionate papercrafters some instructions, the same materials and tell them to go for it.  Each one turns out just a little bit different.  Each lady putting their own spin on it.

Supplies used all Stampin' Up!®: -
Stamp Sets - A Holly Jolly Christmas, Basic Phrases
Card - Real Red, Old Olive and Whisper White Cardstock
Ink - Real Red, Old Olive and Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Pads
Punches - Eyelet Border, 1 3/8" Circle & Word Window
Accessories - 6mm White Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Trimmer with Scoring Blade, Bone folder and Adhesive.
 Click here to check out my events and classes coming up and Email me to book your place.

 

27th - 30th FREE SHIPPING

In the U.S. from Friday 27th to Monday 30th November 2009 there are sales everywhere to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  We don't celebrate Thanksgiving day but why should you miss out on the sales. 

Place a Stampin' Up!® order with me by phone - 04 2325815 or EMail and I will give you FREE SHIPPING.  Offer ends Monday 30th November.

Take a look through the Stampin' Up!® catalogues, compile your list and then contact me.

Don't forget to have a look at the current Stampin' Up!® promotions and take advantage of those at the same time.

Any order which includes product from the 2009 Spring Mini Catalogue must be received with payment by 7pm 30th November to make sure your order makes Stampin' Up!® ordering deadlines.  I accept payments using Cash, Cheque, Internet Banking and Paypal.

Offer is only available in New Zealand.

Jack's Train Card

Fiona received her order, including the 'Choo Choo' stamp set and 'Right on Track' stampin' around wheel, late yesterday afternoon and I've just received this lovely photo by EMail.  Fiona has graciously let me share it with you all.

"I made a card (copied pretty much from the catalogue with alphabet stamps I had forgotten that I had) for my 5 year old son Jack last night after he was in bed and put it in his room. He came in this morning and said “wow, I don’t like it, I LOVE it”!"

Thanks so much for letting me share Fiona.

Both the Choo Choo Stamp set and Right on Track Wheel are in the Stampin' Up!® Spring Mini Catalogue which ends on the 30th November.  Email me to purchase yours now so you don't miss out.

Watch out for a Special

Check back on Friday after 6am to see the special I'm running over the weekend ending Monday 30th November.

There will be an additional special for my Newsletter subscribers to make sure you get your favourite products from the Spring Mini before orders end from that catalogue on the 30th November. 

Subscribe to my Newsletter before 6am Friday 27th November to find out the Newsletter subscriber only special.

To subscribe fill in your EMail address in the box at the top of my side bar.

Specials only available within New Zealand.

Teacher and Best Friend Gifts

Cameron decided to walk over to his Nana and Grandads after school today so Lachlan and I used this time to go out for some uninterrupted shopping for gifts for his best mates and his teacher.

I'd seen a video on Lisa Freeman's Website earlier in the afternoon for the treat holders above that I just had to try out.  Maybe that's why I suggested the shopping trip.  My treat holders are holding zip lock bags filled with gold foil wrapped chocolate coins.

All supplies Stampin' Up!®: -
Stamp Sets - Holly Jolly Christmas, Punches Three (Level One Hostess Set)
Paper - 'I Wish' Simply Scrappin' Kit, Very Vanilla Carddstock
Ink - Real Red Classic Ink Pad, Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
Punch - Scallop Square Punch (find out how to get one for free here)
Accessories - 1" Double Stitched and 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Hemp Twine, Crop A Dile

Only one more week to go!!!

There's only one more week left to get your orders to me from the 2009 Spring Mini Catalogue.  Click on the link or find where you put your copy of the catalogue, get your list together and then EMail me to place your order.

Once that's out of the way EMail me again to make your reservation for my 2009 SUMMER MINI CATALOGUE LAUNCH on Tuesday 1st December 2009.  Click here for more details.

Scallop Square Christmas Tree Decorations

Last year my Christmas tree decorations were made with the 'Scallop Circle Punch', see the tutorial here, this year I used the same technique but used the scallop square punch.  I found it much easier this time threading the beads on the hat pins from the 'Pretties Kit', however as you can see from the tutorial using 'linen thread' works as well.

This is a fabulous way to use up left over bits and pieces of patterned papers.  Six scallop squares of a double sided paper were all that were used for each of these decorations.  You could also use three scallop squares from two different single sided papers as well.

Although I've used the scallop circle and scallop square punches for my decorations any punched shapes that will fold in half easily will work as well. 

All Stampin' Up!® products used unless noted otherwise: -
Paper - Parisienne Breeze Specialty DSP (Only available until 30/11/09)
Punch - Scallop Square
Accessories - Snail Adhesive, Pretties Kit (for hatpins and beads), Fine Gold Thread (From my Stash)

After posting this yesterday I've found another Christmas tree decoration tutorial also using the Pretties Kit Hatpins and beads and scrap Designer Series Paper - Splitcoast Stampers Double Ball Ornament.

I'm sorry I can't make a sample for you but the hatpins I used above where the last two in my 'Pretties Kit'.

Thunder Cat LO

I am an erratic scrapper.  When I look through my album it's not big events that I tend to scrap about, it's those moments like the one I've put together today.  Lachlan has taken over the job of feeding our cats to work towards a Cub badge.  Last weekend he took his role extremely seriously.  He was Thunder Cat.  He could climb trees, talk to the cats and was extremely taken with the fact that when up the tree he could see the roof and into my office window. 

Supplies used all Stampin' Up!®: -
Stamp Set - Big Deal Alphabet
Papers - Bold Brights Assorted 12x12 Cardstock, Animal Tales DSP (Available 1/12/09)
Ink - Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads, Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker
Accessories - Paper Cutter, Paper Snips, Snail Adhesive

I Made It!!!!

Thank you so much to everybody who has supported me by visiting my blog and leaving comments during my bid to post everyday from the 19th October through to the 19th November.

It's been hard work but not as hard as I thought it would be once I got into the habit of making sure I had a post scheduled for every day.

Keep checking in as I fully intend to keep up this habit.

Crafting With Friends

The best thing about cardmaking and papercraft in general is getting together with friends to share ideas and create.  For the first two days of this week that's how I spent some of my day.

Fiona joined me on Monday and we managed over four hours to create 9 Christmas cards and get Fiona's 2 Petal Party 6x6 Albums put together and the decoration started on those.  With a change of simply scrappin' kit we managed to change the look of my Christmas 6x6 album completely.

Cathryn joined me yesterday morning and before we'd even started creating she grabbed this card out of her bag to show me.

What a great use of the single 'Birthday Wish' stamp from the Spring Mini Catalogue.  Make sure to get your order in before 30 November if you want one of these.

While browsing through the new Summer Mini Catalogue we found a card to use Cathryn's 'Heart to Heart' punch, one that I don't have yet.  Here are our cards: -

Using the same supplies and the same inspiration we still managed to each create a slightly different card.

Then thinking of the need to make even more Christmas cards we adapted the design to create this one using the large and small star punches.

If you would like to see the Stampin' Up!® card that inspired ours Email me to be sent a copy of Summer Mini Catalogue.

By the time you read this post I will have been to the dentist to get a tooth crowned and will be on my way or have been to the boys' school to do library duty and after school I'll be off to the pool for their swimming lessons.  I'd much rather have been at home crafting with Fiona and Cathryn.

Sponging to Soften the Look of a Card

I'm finding that I'm using my Stampin' Sponges to soften the edges of cardstock more and more.

Here's a quick tutorial for you: -

Sponging is a fabulous way to soften cardstock edges, to add colour to the edge of cardstock to avoid using another cardstock or paper layer, to gently soften stark white cardstock.



Either use a full size sponge or cut it into six or eight trianges. Dab it into your inkpad and gently apply it by gently dabbing or dragging to your cardstock or paper. Gently really is the key as it's easier to add colour than take it away.


One way to use Sponging: -

- Birthday wishes (Sincere Salutations) stamped in Red Riding Hood Ink and punched out with a wide oval punch.

- Softened by sponging the same ink around the edges.

- Then add to a card.

All supplies used Stampin' Up!®
Stamp Set - Sincere Salutations
Paper - Pink Pirouette, Whisper White and Riding Hood Red Cardstock, Bella Rose DSP (you can get 72 of these cards out of one pack of patterned paper)
Ink - Red Riding Hood Classic Ink Pad
Punch - Wide Oval
Accessories - Paper Trimmer, 6mm white grosgrain ribbon, Adhesive, Stampin' Sponges ($7.75 for 3, page 156 of the current Idea Book and Catalogue)

Click here for my other tutorials.

November Inspiration Challenge

Each of my monthly Newsletters contains either a Colour or an Inspiration Challenge.

This is the one that was sent out in my November newsletter earlier this month.

"Like a lot of others in our ever changing climate this spring I've been suffering from a cold. During this time I've had a lot of chances to admire the bright cheerful pictures on my tissue boxes.



Here's one that I couldn't help being inspired by: -

Here's the card that the tissue box inspired me to make.

Supplies I used: -


Stamp Set - Petal Pizzazz, Sincere Salutations
Cardstock - Whisper White, Handsome Hunter
Ink - Handsome Hunter, Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie & Summer Sun Classic Ink Pads
Punches - Scallop Circle, 5 Petal Flower, 1/2" Circle Punch
Accessories - Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Paper Cutter, Snail Adhesive"

Please join in with this challenge and show me how you were inspired by my tissue box by leaving me a comment on this post or Emailing me a photo of your card, scrapbook layout or 3D project by the 30 November 2009.

Every entry will go into the draw to win a roll of Rose Red 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.

The winner will be announced in next months newsletter.

To keep getting my newsletter challenges sign up for my EMail newsletter using the box in the side bar.

I Wish SS Kit - This Year I'm On To It!!

Saturday afternoon while the ladies were here for my Christmas Giftables class Dave took the boys to North City Plaza to see Santa.  They arrived home just like every other year clutching their photo.  But unlike every other year this photo's different.  I've already scrapped it and put it in my album.  The others are in a photo box somewhere, out of sight, out of mind.

Having the 'I Wish' - Simply Scrappin' Kit made a huge difference.  Could there have been a better title for this photo?

All I used was Cardstock and Self Adhesive Die Cuts from the 'I Wish' Simply Scrappin' Kit, Paper Cutter, Black Stampin' Write Journaller and Adhesvie for the photo. 

The 'I Wish' Simply Scrappin' Kit is featured in the Stampin' Up!® 'Christmas Gift Guide' Promotion.  Click here to download your copy and find out how to earn your free punch, then EMail me to place your order.

DCM - Scraplings

Over at the Daring Cardmakers blog this week Paula has dared us to make 'Scraplings'.

"There's a few new trends of card shapes and sizes at the moment and one of them I came across is small cards or gift tags using scraps which are called 'scraplings' - There's no hard or fast rules on sizes but the one I've gone for is a folded card front measuring 2 1/2"x4 1/4"



So, dig out your scraps and make either a card,gift tags or maybe something else!"

What a great way to use up scraps of card, scraps of DSP etc, etc. 

I've based my three scraplings around Stampin' Up!®'s Parisienne Breeze DSP. As it won't be available after 30th November I want to get as much use from it as I can before then.

Click here to see the other Scraplings made by the Design Team and find out how to join in with this dare.

Can you pick out the two new products that will be arriving in the Stampin' Up!®  Summer Mini on the 1 December 2009?

Look in the supply list below to see if you were right.

All products Stampin' Up!®:-
Stamp Sets - Best Yet (Level One Hostess Set), Fresh Cuts (For You), Butterfly Prints (Available from 1/12/09)
Paper - Parisienne Breeze DSP (Only available until 30/11/09), Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue & Pacific Point Cardstock
Ink - Chocolate Chip and Pacific Point Classic Ink Pad
Punches - Butterfly (Available from 1/12/09), Designer Label, 5 Petal Flower, 1/2" Circle, Word Window
Accessories - Paper Cutter, Paper Snips, Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Pretties Kit, Stampin' Sponge, 6mm Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon

Petal Pizazz CASE

One of the best things for me as a Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator is having my upline and her team close by.  At the last 'INKspirables Crop day' we had a shoe box swap and this is the card I CASE'd from the shoebox swap card designed by Sharlene Meyer.

All supplies Stampin' Up!®
Stamp set - Petal Pizazz and Best Yet (Level One Hostess Set)
Paper - Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla and Ballet Blue Cardstock
Ink - Ballet blue, Always Artichoke, Rose Red and Bravo Burgundy Classic Ink Pad
Punch - Corner Rounder
Accessories - Paper Cutter, Snail Adhesive, Paper Snips, 5/8" Bravo Burgundy Grosgrain Ribbon.

If you're living in the Greater Wellington area and are looking into becoming a Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator, with the support of a team close by, click here to find out more about the business opportunity and then contact me to find out if my team is the right one for you.

Rosa Sweltz - Chocolate Box

I found the instructions for this cute little box while browsing the demo challenges on the Splitcoast Stampers forum.  The link to the instructions on Rosa's blog can be found here.

I've gone with a simple monochromatic design for my box.  The end of the year is when I need to make Thank you boxes and little gifts for teachers, scout leaders etc, etc and this makes it a lot easier to duplicate.

All supplies by Stampin' Up!®: -
Stamp Set - Sincere Salutations - set of 8
Paper - Pacific Point Patterns Designer Series Paper
Ink - Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pad
Punches - Designer Label & 1/2" Circle Punch
Accessories - Paper Cutter with scoring blade, Sticky Strip and Snail Adhesive, Paper Snips, Whisper White 6mm Grosgrain Ribbon.

CHRISTMAS GIFTABLES CLASS

There are still a couple of places left in each of my two Christmas Giftables Class Sessions.  Get your's before they fill up.

Spend two hours making four gifts for your friends and family for Christmas.



When: Saturday 14th November


Time: 1pm to 3pm


Cost: $20.00


or


When: Thursday 26th November


Time: 7pm to 9pm


Cost: $20.00


Venue: Tawa, Wellington

RSVP By: 12th November for 14th November Class or 24th November for 26th November Class

Your booking will not be confirmed until payment has been received. Click on the Paypal button below or EMail me for other payment options.

Available Dates

14 November 200926 November 2009

Thank You to our Band Leader

This year I've returned to playing a musical instrument that has been sitting under my bed since I left College.  My clarinet might still be in limbo except for a small ad in 'The Wellingtonian' in January this year for the 'Aspire Music Performance Academy'.  As the academy is sponsored by the Tawa Corps of The Salvation Army all of the dedicated team that look after us have given their time completely for free and the love of music.

The 'Development Band' would not have performed with such enthusiasm, dedication and love of music, at both our Tawa and Taupo performances, had it not been for our band leader - Phil Hawkey.

This is the card that I made to go with the gift that we gave to Phil last night at our Band rehearsal. 

Supplies mostly Stampin' Up!®: -
Images - Sincere Salutations Stamp Set, Music (Copyright free sheet music from the internet), Music note (unknown)
Paper - Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy and Really Rust Cardstock
Ink - Night of Navy and Bravo Burgundy Classic Stampin' Pads
Punch - Designer Label
Accessories - Paper Cutter, Stampin' Sponge, Mat Pack, Snail Adhesive.

This is definitely one of those times when cardmaking means you can make a card that is really personal to the recipient.  It was also really scary having it passed round all the members of the development band to get it signed.

Quick and Easy Birthday Card this time

The November Impressions Magazine (for Stampin' Up!® Demonstrators) contained a card very similar to the one I've just created.  It was the layout that caught my eye.  One of those cards that with a change of colour and/or embellishment could be used for so many different occassions.  I've stuck with the Birthday theme of the original this time but watch out in later posts to see what I can turn it into.

Supplies used all Stampin' Up!®
 - Stamp Set - Occasional Greetings (set of 12) Pg 112
 - Paper - Pacific Point Designer Series Paper (Pg 135), Whisper White Cardstock (Pg 127), Baja Breeze Cardstock (Pg 126)
 - Ink - Pacific Point Classic Ink Pad (Pg 126)
 - Punches - Five Petal Flower and Scallop Edge Punch (both Pg 153)
 - Accessories - Paper Cutter (Pg 155), Adhesive (Pg 154)

All page numbers refer to the 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalogue.
 

Origami Christmas Tree

I found the instructions for this tree on Jackie Topa's blog.  My tree was made using a full sheet of 12x12 Kiwi Kiss patterns designer series paper but you could use any size square and make them smaller or larger to suit your setting.  Smaller ones for table decorations, I can see them with place name cards instead of the star, or bigger ones to sit on a coffee table.

All these need is a sheet of 12x12 designer series paper, a scrap of paper for the star, adhesive and scissors.  Get 12 from a pack of designer series paper.  See the selection in the 2009/2010 Idea Book and Catalogue and then contact me to place your order.